Thursday, August 28, 2014

Well, after over a year at the Big Orange Box Store, I'm calling it quits. Tired of being the go to guy for everyone, tired of watching department heads stand around, tired of making barely more than the cashiers, some of whom do not know the difference between a pipe and a pipe fitting. Yes I had one ask me that. I'm tired of selling my guns just to get by with life and tired of ignorant customers. Tired of being constantly broke. I mean really broke, I just had to sell the AR to put brakes on my truck.

This new chapter? An industry I have never even considered. An old time friend recommended the job to me and the interview went very well. The position was offered to me on the spot, no waiting, just you got it.

This new gig pays pretty well and gets me off my junk knees that are the worse for wear thanks to the Depot. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about this position. It is entirely dependent on me and my abilities, my gift for gab, my outgoing personality, my rugged charm.

What is it you might inquire. My future endeavor will be selling cars. Yep. A car salesman. For the oldest Chevy dealer in Missouri, Kindred Chevrolet. If I bust my hump and use my extensive contacts, I can make some real good ching. And get back to prepping, getting this old house secured, getting things the way the should be in my eyes. Getting some security in the bank again. And rebuilding my gun collection. This time, no paperwork, none, zip, nada.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

After working at Home Depot for over a year now I am truly scared for humanity.
While working in the lumber department I encountered people that had no clue as to why a 2x4 was called a 2x4. Or why any other board was named after their dimension. I can understand not knowing how to do something but not understanding something as simple as that? I then moved to the electric department. WOW! I am shocked that more houses have not burned down due to homeowner electrical work. I have refused to provide knowledge to folks that seemed like they were gearing up to do a job for someone but had no clue as to what the parts were called, how to install them or any knowledge of electricity and to top it off they were wayyyy stoned and a few were really drunk. Yes, I reserve the right to protect my self from a lawsuit because you are a stoned dumbass. I feel as though I have saved countless lives by denying service to some folks, getting some "contractors" fired and imparting knowledge to good honest folks trying make there homes better.
I then moved to the plumbing department, much less dangerous but evidently controlling water is a genuine mystery for many people. I have spent many hours explaining, drawing pictures, looking a stupid cell phone pictures and trying to decipher what the fuck some of these morons are talking about. I had one such dumbass ask what a gas valve did. Uh huh, he did. And no he had no idea what a gas valve did. One customer asked how he was supposed to know how many fitting his new self installed gas line would need. Dumbassery even extends to some of my co-workers. I had a cashier who has worked there for many years call for an SKU number for 1/2 inch PVC. I asked was it pipe or fittings? Her answer? What's the difference? Right, what's the difference. A pipe is like a cock, long, hollow and carries liquid of some sort and fittings are like little condoms that fit on the pipe and control the flow of liquid. Sheesh!

All that brings me to my point. If the shit ever hits the fan a whole bunch of people are going to die just cause they cannot figure anything out. Things like how to heat their house when the electricity goes out, how to fix anything so it will continue to function, how to raise a garden, plan for their families defense, harden their house, procure food, heal the sick, dress a deer, run a trot line, build a shelter or any of the myriad things a person should know. Not strictly for a societal break down but just for every day living. Not having the luxuries of electricity, running water, flowing gas will require brains, know how and determination. And I sse a whole bunch of folks that just won't cut it in a disaster. If you cannot figure out how to put a supply line on your sink, how are you going to know how to drill a well?
After more than a year of interacting with the general populace, I am scared for mankind.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the War of Northern Aggression and what it means to us today. I have read several books, mainly about the Missouri/Kansas border war that preceded the War for Southern Independence.
In the Border War violence was rampant on both sides. Murder, theft and terror were hallmarks of the day. Action, re-action, reprisals were frequent.
By the time the entire nation erupted into a war promulgated by Abraham Lincoln and his cronies, the emotions of the day were running very hot. Battles, skirmishes, raids and naval actions, all pitting Americans against former Americans. I say former as the Southern states involved had invoked Constitutional Rights and legally seceded from the Union. So, all participants from the South were Confederates. Which is ironic as the United States was formed as a confederation of States.
From the start the Confederates had decided to fight under the time honored practice known as the Just War Doctrine. In contrast, the Lincoln apparatchik extolled the concept of Total War, which is well known today. Total War pits soldier and armies against women, children, livestock, infrastructure, property and the very means to sustain life. Even when faced with atrocities committed by the North, specifically, Sherman and his bummers, General David Hunter and General Philip Sheridan, the South with a few exceptions, fought under the Just War Doctrine.

All the while bullets and shot were flying, Good Ol' Abe was hard at work issuing orders directly to military leaders, completely bypassing the chain of command. He violated the first, second, fourth and fifth amendments. In fact he personally ordered the arrest of hundreds of pro-south, pro-secession editors and had them imprisoned. He ordered newspaper offices destroyed and even had some folks "disappeared". He even went as far as to order the arrest of one Supreme Court Justice. Habeas corpus was suspended and no fence sitter or secession supporter was safe from this evil man.

When it comes to the issue of prisoner of war camps, horrors abounded on both sides. Astounding death rates, disease and torture were all present. The Northern camps did this willingly or on orders from Washington. The South however had little choice in the matter. Take the infamous Andersonville into perspective. The guards themselves lived on the same rations as the prisoners did, had the same death rate of the prisoners. Conditions were unimaginable. To top it off, the North had destroyed all agriculture so there was little to no food. The North refused to accept any released prisoners, even sending thousands BACK to that hell hole, all calculated to play into the hand of the remaining press, all Lincoln supporters.
When you look at HONEST history, you will see systematic conditions of evil on the part of the North from the President to his Cabinet, to many military leaders to the common soldier.

We then come to modern times. suspension of Constitutional rights is the norm. States Rights are basically dead. The President(s) act independently without Congressional involvement. The Government "allows" us First Amendment zones at the things we are protesting. We have foreign troops in this country training to disarm civilians. We have a police force that is increasingly militarized and much evidence shows they are going wild, beating, shooting, torturing and killing people over nothing. We get no response from our legislators. We have government departments that HATE the American people. We are imprisoned and killed over tax issues, We have had many military leaders fired in the last couple of years and replaced with the Presidents cronies. It is rumored that they were replaced because they refused to say yes to the question of whether they would order troops to fire on US citizens. The list of wrongs perpetrated on us, our families and friend goes on and on.
The venerable, honorable battle flag or any that may relate to it is looked at as a racist banner, even though it was patterned after the St. Andrews and St. Patrick's crosses. It stood for honor, law, respect and defiance. Most do not know that many thousands possibly as many as a million blacks WILLINGLY fought for that flag, side by side with their white brethren.
Today were are at a precipice waiting for that certain trigger that will once again pit brother against brother. And it seems that we have a Government that is willing to enact Total War on a group of people that only want to exercise their God given rights to create a government they can live with.

SOURCES:

The Un-Civil War

searavenpress.com

Three years with Quantrill

Civil War on the Western Border, 1854-1865

Civil War on the Missouri Kansas Border

War Crimes Against Southern Civilians

Gray Ghosts of The Confederacy

Blood On the Streets.

all of these books are available on amazon.com and searavenpress.com has a wide assortment of books all pertaining to the War of Northern Aggression.